The secret daughter
by BlackMoonDarkness
Summary: 15 year old Grace Carnahan is Evy's adopted sister, how will her presence effect their adventure? And what is with Imhotep's strange obsession with her? This story follows the first film almost exactly, with only a few changes to include Grace. Disclaimer: I own nothing except Grace and her back story, all rights go to the film makers and respective people.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One**

Grace Carnahan was bored out of her mind. She sat on top of an old wooden desk, swinging her legs back and forth watching her older sister, Evy, putting a pile of books back into their rightful place in the library of Cairo's museum of antiquities where she worked. Grace had been helping but after knocking over a large pile of ancient books Evy had sent the fifteen year old to sit down out of the way. "Tuthmosis? ...Now how did you get up there?" Evy muttered to herself, her voice echoing in the silent library.

Grace watched as Evy tried to stretch to the shelves behind her on her ladder to put the book back in the 'T' section. Evy reached closer and closer until the ladder pulled away from the shelf, standing upright. Evy yelped and dropped the book as she clutched the ladder, trying not to fall backwards. Grace would have helped her sister but she was too busy laughing at the sight of her walking on the ladder trying to keep it upright. "Gracie, help me!" Evy yelled, fright evident in her voice.

The younger girl clutched her chest, her laughs coming out almost silent now as she struggled to get some air in. The ladder wobbled some more until inevitably it started falling, and crashed into the bookshelf. "AHHH!" Evy screamed as the bookshelf began falling too, crashing into the next one, and the next one. So it went, each crashing into another making a domino effect. Thousands of books were flung from their place and strewn all over the floor.

Finally, the last bookshelf crashed into the wall and silence was held again, Grace finally having gotten a hold of her laughter. Evy pushed herself up, shoving books off of her, before surveying the damage. "Oops." She said.

"Are you okay?" Grace asked her sister as she slid off of the desk.

Evy turned on her. "I'm fine, no thanks to you. I could have really been hurt!" She cried.

Grace giggled a little, "I'm sorry! But you have to admit that it was funny." Evy didn't have a chance to reply to her comment because they heard hurried footsteps and saw the curator storm in from his office.

He paused and surveyed the mess, his mouth hung open in shock. "Look at this!" He cried. "Sons of the Messiah! Give me frogs, flies, locusts, anything but this! Compared to you the other plagues were a joy!"

Evy faced him, a guilty look across her face. "I'm sorry, it was an accident." She shuffled nervously.

"When Ramesses destroyed Syria, it was an accident. You are a catastrophe! Why do I put up with you?" He raised his index finger and pointed it at her.

Grace was about to defend her sister but Evy elbowed her sharply, warning her to stay quiet. "You put up with me, because I can read and write ancient Egyptian, decipher hieroglyphs and hieratic, and I'm the only person within a thousand miles who knows how to properly code and catalogue this library."

Grace, like her sister, could also read and write ancient Egyptian and decipher hieroglyphs and hieratic. Growing up she shared her sister's love of Egypt, she knew more about the ancient Egyptian society than she did London's, where she was adopted. "Who needs smart women? I put up with you because your mother and father were our finest patrons, Allah rest their souls. Now straighten up this mess!" The curator ordered before storming out.

Evy and Grace were saddened for moment at the mention of their parents death. They had died five years ago in a plane crash, Grace had lived with Evy in Cairo ever since- their older brother, Jonathan, wasn't suitable to raise a young girl. They were brought out of their depressing thoughts by a sound coming from a nearby gallery.

They both spun round where they stood. "Hello?" Evy called. But it was eerily quiet. They heard it again, it sounded like feet, slowly shuffling across the floor. Cautiously, the sisters walked through the doorway and entered the Ramesseum. "Abdul? Mohammed? Bob?" They continued slowly walking through the dark room, Evy kept Grace behind her.

The room was filled with treasures from the middle kingdom, the only light source they had was from flickering torches from either end of the gallery. The noise was heard again, a shuffling sound across the floor. Evy grabbed a torch and the pair looked around the room- a statue of Anubis, another of Horus, they both stared down at the two girls. Grace could see Evy's hands shaking from fear now as she gripped the torch.

Grace herself, could feel adrenalin pumping around her body. Her fight or flight response ready to go into action at any moment. She followed Evy down an aisle, past a closed sarcophagus, past cases of ancient artefacts, past another sarcophagus- only this one was open. They both froze and looked at each other, fear evident in both of their eyes. Evy swallowed hard before slowly leaning forward with the torch and peered inside.

A hideous, rotted mummy sat up and screeched at her. Evy and Grace screamed and backed away, Evy dropped the torch as she did so. And then, just as they were about to run for it they heard a man laughing from inside the sarcophagus. A skinny brown haired man crawled out from behind the mummy, still laughing at them. "You...! You...!" Evy couldn't form a sentence and Grace felt like she was about to have a heart attack, her heart was racing wildly.

"You complete ass, Jonathan!" Grace finally got out as he climbed out of the sarcophagus.

It was a testament to how afraid Evy had been because usually she would have scolded Grace for her language. "Have you no respect for the dead?" Evy asked their drunken brother.

She moved towards the mummy and plucked a cigarette out of its mouth and lay it back down. "Right now, I only wish to join them." He grinned at her.

Evy punched him hard in the chest. "Well I wish you'd do it sooner rather than later, before you ruin my career the way you've ruined yours." She said bitterly.

"My dear, sweet, baby sister. I'll have you know, that at this moment, my career is on a high note." He then belched before stumbling back slightly and sitting on the edge of a tomb.

Evy grimaced at his lack of manors as Grace approached him. "High note? Ha! For five years you've been scrounging around Egypt, and what have you to show for it? Nothing." She jabbed her index finger into his chest.

Instead of looking put out at her words he started excitedly looking in his jacket for something. "Oh yes I do! I have something right here!" He said digging around.

"Oh no, not another worthless trinket, Jonathan, if I bring one more piece of junk to the curator to try and sell for you..." She trailed off as Jonathan finally produced a small, ancient, golden box.

It made both girls instantly curious and Evy snatched it from Jonathan. "Where did you get this?" Grace asked as Evy rolled the box around in her hands mumbling to herself as she translated the hieratics and hieroglyphs covering it.

Jonathan licked his lips in anticipation and gave them a mischievous smile. "On a dig down in Thebes," Grace knew he was lying instantly. Jonathan was not one for archaeology or going on digs. "My whole life I've never found anything, Evy tell me I've found something." He almost begged.

Grace watched as Evy played around with the various little slats on the box, shifting them in different directions. It was almost like a puzzle box. Then, almost mechanically, it unfolded itself. Sitting inside the open box was a folded piece of golden papyrus. Evy passed the box to Grace who quickly studied it, taking in every detail as she unfolded the papyrus. "Jonathan, I think you found something." Evy said.

It was quickly decided that the curator needed to have a look at what they had found so they raced off to his office and showed it to him. He sat at his desk, staring through a jeweller's eyepiece at the box. Evy and Grace hovered behind him excitedly, "see the cartouche there, it's the official royal seal of Seti the First, I'm sure of it." Evy explained to the curator.

"Perhaps," He answered sceptically.

Jonathan leaned in from across the desk, just as excited as his sisters. "Two questions, who the hell is Seti the First? And was he rich?" He asked greedily.

"He was the last Pharaoh of the Old Kingdom, said to be the wealthiest Pharaoh of them all." Grace answered. She had a particular love of the Old Kingdom compared to the rest of Egyptian history, Evy tended to have a preference for the Middle Kingdom.

"Alright, good, that's good. I like this fellow, I like him very much." Jonathan said, licking his lips. The curator set the box back down and picked up the map to study it.

"I've already dated it; this map is almost four thousand years old. And the hieratics over here..." Evy inhaled deeply, unable to contain her excitement. "It's Hamunaptra."

Both Grace and the curator froze though for different reasons. Grace had loved the legend of Hamunaptra growing up, but never did she think it could be real. The curator on the other hand had developed a nervous sweat before he recovered. "My dear girl, don't be ridiculous, we are scholars, not treasure hunters. Hamunaptra is a myth." He insisted.

"Are we talking about _the_ Hamunaptra?" Jonathan asked.

Even Jonathan, a man with no interest in history, knew the legend of Hamunaptra. "Yes. The City of the Dead. Where the early Pharaohs were said to have hidden the wealth of Egypt." Evy confirmed.

Jonathan's eyes lit up. "Right, right, in a big underground treasure chamber. Everybody knows the story. The entire necropolis was rigged to sink into the sand. On Pharaoh's command, a flick of the switch! And the whole place could disappear beneath the dunes." He said dramatically.

"All we know for certain is that the city mysteriously vanished around 2134 B.C." Grace told him.

The curator moved the map closer to the burning candle-lamp to inspect it better. "As the Americans would say: it's all fairy tales and hokum." He said sceptically. The map then suddenly burst into flame and the curator threw it to the floor.

Jonathan dropped to the floor immediately and patted it out before lifting it up for them to see. A third of the map was missing. "You burned it! You burnt off the part with the lost city!" Jonathan cried in horror.

"It's for the best, I'm sure. Many men have wasted their lives in the foolish pursuit of Hamunaptra, no one has ever found it, most have never returned." The curator warned. "I'm sure it was a fake anyway, I'm surprised at you Miss Carnahan, to be so fooled." He said before reaching for the box.

Evy quickly snatched it away as Grace narrowed her eyes at him in suspicion, a look copied by Evy.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

Cairo prison looked to be one of the worst hell holes on earth. Every low-life form of scumbag could be found there. The warden, a scumbag himself, was escorting Evy, Jonathan, and Grace across the gallows courtyard. "You told me you found it on a dig in Thebes!" Evy said with betrayal in her voice to Jonathan.

Grace had succeeded in getting Jonathan to tell them the truth about where he had really found the box and Evy still couldn't believe he had lied. "I was mistaken." Jonathan replied sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck with his hand.

"You lied to me!" She retorted.

"I lie to everybody, what makes you so special?"

"I'm your sister."

Grace smirked at her bickering siblings. "That just makes you more gullible." She put in and got a glare from her big sister in return.

Evy liked to see the best in Jonathan, and at times it could make her naive and gullible. Grace on the other hand, learnt early on in life to take everything Jonathan said with a pinch of salt. "You stole it from a drunk at the local Casbah!" Evy continued berating Jonathan.

"Picked his pocket actually." He said matter-of-factly.

Finally they stopped arguing when they reached the visitor holding pen and the warden stopped them outside. "What is he in prison for?" Evy asked the warden curiously.

"I did not know, so when I heard you were coming, I asked him myself." He said in slightly broken English.

"And what did he say?" Grace asked.

"He said... He was just looking for a good time." At his words the interior cell door burst open and a ragged, dirty looking man was dragged in by four guards.

His face was half hidden by long hair, a scraggly beard could be seen on his face, and his body seemed to be covered in many new bruises. "But he's just a filthy criminal?" Evy said looking at his appearance in disgust.

The man, who they knew to be Rick O'Connell, gave Evy a once over before looking at Jonathan. "Who's the broad?" he asked in a scratchy voice.

"Broad?!" Evy cried in offence.

"She's my sister, actually." Jonathan answered.

"Yeah? Well ...I'm sure she's not a total loss." He said before glancing at Grace. "This one your sister too?" He asked. Jonathan nodded in answer.

Evy looked stunned and furious. "I'll be back in a moment." The warden said before walking away from the group.

"I tremble with anticipation." O'Connell said sarcastically. A guard clubbed him across the head for his comment, causing his head to bounce off the metal bars.

O'Connell didn't show pain though and just gave the guard a nasty look instead. Evy stepped closer to the bars. "We uh, ...found... your puzzle box, and we've come to ask you about it." She whispered.

"No." O'Connell said bluntly.

"No?"

"No. You came to ask me about Hamunaptra." He stated.

Evy quickly looked around, hoping the guards didn't hear him. All three of them stepped closer to the bars. "How do you know the box pertains to Hamunaptra?" Evy questioned coyly.

O'Connell rolled his eyes. "Because that's where I found it. I was there."

Evy and Grace stood dumbstruck, Hamunaptra was real?! Jonathan, however, looked suspicious. "How do we know that's not a load of pig swallow?" He demanded.

O'Connell took a closer look at Jonathan and Grace caught a glint of recognition in his eye. "Hey... Don't I know you?" He asked.

Jonathan stuttered, trying to get something out but O'Connell's fist came flying through the bars and hit Jonathan square in the jaw. Jonathan hit the floor, out cold. A guard clubbed O'Connell on the head again. Grace snorted at Jonathan's limp form, knowing he deserved it. Evy looked down at her brother and then back at the criminal. "You were actually at Hamunaptra?"

O'Connell looked at her in surprise. "I just decked your brother." He pointed out.

"Yes, well," Evy shrugged. "I know my brother."

O'Connell smirked at her. "Yeah I was there." He confirmed.

"You swear?"

"Every damn day."

"No, I mean-"

"I know what you mean. I was there, alright. Seti's place. The city of The Dead."

Grace couldn't believe what she was hearing, it really was real. She had always felt deep down that it was real, but she had started to put it down to childish dreams. But O'Connell was here actually confirming that it _was_ real. "What did you see? What did you find?" Grace asked eagerly.

O'Connell shifted his gaze from Evy to Grace and looked her over again. "I found sand. I saw death." He stated.

The warden chose that moment to come back so Evy moved closer to O'Connell. "Could you tell me how to get there? The exact location?" She asked.

"Want to know?" He asked.

Evy leaned in even closer. "Yes."

"You really want to know?" O'Connell teased.

"Yes." Evy leaned her face right up to the bars.

O'Connell stepped forward and kissed her full on the lips. "Then get me the hell outta here!"A guard clubbed him on the head and before he could react the guards grabbed him and yanked him away from the bars before dragging him out of the cage.

Evy stood stunned for a moment, unable to take her eyes from the spot that O'Connell previously stood. "Where are they taking him?" Grace asked the warden.

"To be hanged." The warden grinned, showing his green teeth. "Apparently he had a very good time."

Evy and Grace stared at him in horror before taking off to the gallows courtyard, leaving Jonathan where he lay unconscious. Hundreds of filthy prisoners stared down onto the gallows as the hangman's noose was draped over O'Connell's head and clenched tight around his neck. Evy and Grace followed the warden onto a balcony above the gallows, "I will give you one hundred pounds to spare his life." Evy offered.

The warden let out a pig-like snort. "I would pay one hundred pounds just to see him hang."

"Two hundred pounds?" She offered.

"Proceed!" Shouted the warden.

"Three hundred pounds!" Grace said desperately.

The warden shook his head and motioned to the hangman who grabbed the lever to the trapdoor. "Five hundred pounds!" Evy offered and O'Connell looked up hopefully.

The warden set his greasy, lecherous hand on Evy's leg. "And what else?" He purred.

Evy shoved his hand away looking revolted. Insulted, the warden angrily gestured to the hangman who pulled the lever and the trapdoor dropped away. "No!" Evy and Grace screamed.

O'Connell dropped through the hole, the rope jerked tight and O'Connell's body snapped at the end of the rope but he was still alive! "His neck did not break! Good! Now we watch him strangle to death." The warden said eagerly.

O'Connell struggled at the end of the rope, gagging. Grace looked away, unable to watch anymore; instead she turned to the warden. "He knows the location of Hamunaptra." She said with barely concealed tears in her eyes.

The warden spun round and faced her. "You lie!" He accused.

"She would never!" Evy backed up, seeing where she was going with this.

At the end of the rope, O'Connell was choking and gagging, turning several shades of red. "Are you saying, this filthy godless son of a pig knows where to find the City of the Dead? Truly?" He said in disbelief.

"Yes! And if you cut him down, we will give you ten percent." Evy offered.

"Fifty percent." The warden demanded.

"Twenty!" Grace put in desperately.

"Forty." Retorted the warden.

Evy hesitated, biting her lip. O'Connell looked up at them in disbelief as he tried to choke out something. "Twenty-Five percent, and not a single farthing more."

The warden flashed a big green smile and then yelled in Arabic. The rope got cut and O'Connell crashed to the ground, gagging, but alive.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

Grace carried her bag down the stairs of her and Evy's little house and placed it with Evy's. "What's this?" Evy asked in confusion.

Evy and Jonathan had been talking in the kitchen when she had come in. "I'm coming with you." Grace stated.

"Oh no you're not! It's too dangerous." Evy insisted.

Grace looked to Jonathan for support but he just shook his head, telling her she was on her own. "Come on, sis. You can't leave me alone here. Besides, you might need help deciphering things. What's the worst that could happen?" She argued feebly.

They all knew it wasn't a strong argument but Evy laughed at her anyway. "Fine," she sighed. "But you need to stay with us at all times, and promise me you'll be careful." She agreed.

"Yes! Thank you!" Grace celebrated, jumping up and down, making her siblings laugh.

* * *

Finally, the three Carnahan's arrived at Giza port. Teams of explorers swarmed the docks and across the Nile the pyramids spiked the sky. The siblings walked along the boardwalk weaving around the hawkers and adventurers. "Do you really think he'll show up?" Evy asked sceptically.

"Undoubtedly," Jonathan confirmed. "I know the breed, he may be a cowboy, but his word is his word."

"Personally, I think he's filthy, rude, and a complete scoundrel. I don't like him one bit."

"Anyone I know?" O'Connell interrupted.

They all turned around at his voice and found him showered and shaved, with a new haircut and clothes. Both Evy and Grace were impressed with how dashingly handsome he looked. "Oh... um... Hello." Evy muttered out.

Jonathan grabbed O'Connell's arm and shook his hand, "smashing day for the start of our adventure, eh, O'Connell?"

O'Connell quickly checked his pockets and relaxed when he found his wallet. "Yeah, sure. Smashing."

"Mister O'Connell, can you look me in the eye and guarantee me this is not some sort of flimflam? Because if it is, I'm warning you-"

O'Connell stepped close to Evy, invading her space and looking her straight in the eye. "All I can tell you, Miss, is that my Colonel found that map in an ancient fortress, and the whole damn garrison believed in it so much, that without orders, we marched halfway across Libya and into Egypt to find that city. Like I told ya, all I saw was sand. Everybody else was wiped-out by Tuareg warriors. I'll take your bags." O'Connell then grabbed their bags and walked up the plank and onto the barge.

Evy's eyes followed him, a bit wistfully. "Yes, yes, you're right. Filthy, rude, a complete scoundrel, nothing to like there at all." Jonathan said teasingly.

Evy glared at him making Grace laugh as Jonathan grinned back at her. That was when the warden brushed past them, "a bright good morning to you all." He said, tipping his hat.

"What are you doing here?" Grace groaned.

"I have come to protect my investment, thank you very much." He stated and walked up the plank. The three Carnahan's shared a look before going up the plank themselves.

* * *

Day soon turned into night and with it a cold chill swept in. Jonathan had gone to play poker with some American's, Rick had gone off somewhere carrying a bag, and Evy and Grace were sitting on the barge at a table. Evy was staring out at the passing river whilst Grace was reading when a thud on the table startled them both, it was Rick- he had dropped his gunny-sack on the table and had taken a seat. "Sorry, didn't mean to scare ya." He said.

"The only thing that scares me, Mister O'Connell, are your manners." Evy retorted.

"Still angry that I kissed ya, huh?"

"If you call that a kiss." Evy replied bitterly. O'Connell reached into the gunny-sack and started pulling out revolvers, pistols, hunting knives, a massive elephant gun, and a half dozen carefully wrapped sticks of dynamite. "Did I miss something? Are we going into battle?" Evy smirked.

Rick regarded her for a moment. "The last time I was at that place everybody I was with died." That took the smile off of Evy's face. Rick started dismantling and cleaning the guns. "There's something out there, you know, something under that sand."

"Yes, Grace and I are hoping to find a certain artefact, a book actually, my brother thinks there's treasure. What do you think is out there?" Evy said.

Rick looked into Evy's eyes. "In a word: Evil. The Tuaregs and the Bedouin believe that Hamunaptra is cursed, they call it, 'the doorway to hell.'"

"I don't believe in fairy tales and hokum, Mister O'Connell, but I do believe that one of the most famous books in history is buried out there: The book of the Living. It's what first interested me in Egypt as a child. It's why I came here, sort of a life's pursuit." Evy's eyes lit up.

Grace also wanted to find the book of the living. She would give anything to just lay eyes on it and the book of the dead. She had been drawn to them ever since Evy told her about them when she was just four years old. "And the fact that they say it's made out of pure gold, makes no nevermind to you, right?" Rick raised an eyebrow.

Evy was surprised by his knowledge and that showed in her voice, "you know your history."

"I know my treasure." He corrected.

Evy got up to leave but she hesitated, "by the way... why did you kiss me?" She asked nervously wringing her hands.

O'Connell just shrugged his shoulders. "I was about to be hanged, seemed like a good idea at the time." Grace looked up from her book in time to see Evy's eyes widen and she stormed off in rage.

Grace sighed, "You're an idiot." She said to Rick before running after her big sister.

* * *

Grace was in her room on the barge, still reading her book. She hadn't been able to find Evy after she ran off and so had retired to her room. She was relaxed until she heard guns fire, and smelt smoke coming from a few doors down. She ran out of the door just as she saw Evy being dragged along by Rick and shouting about the map.

Grace blinked in surprise as they fled. And before it even registered in her mind, they had gone. Still she stood there, trying to figure out what was going on when Jonathan ran past and skidded to a stop. "Come on, Gracie. Let's go!" He shouted, the golden box in his hand.

She ran after him, down the barge and out onto the bow where Americans were firing their pistols. Jonathan shook his head, "Americans." Before the pair of them jumped overboard and began swimming to where they could see Rick and Evy wading out of the river.

Jonathan and Grace finally climbed out of the river, along with the warden who had caught up to them. Evy was wearing just her nightgown which clung tight to her body. Everybody else had gotten out of the river on the other side, "Hey O'Connell! Looks to me like I got all the horses!" A man taunted from the other side of the river.

"Hey Beni! Looks to me like you're on the wrong side of the river!" Rick sang back. Beni looked up at the stars and then angrily kicked the sand.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

The group walked until they reached a little village, where Evy was taken in immediately by some women to be given some clothes. In the mean time the men tried to barter some camels for them whilst Grace, who didn't need new clothes, took a wander around the various stalls.

Evy finally stepped out of a tent wearing a gorgeous Bedouin dress, Grace came back over to the group after seeing her sister and found that the men had successfully purchased five camels. They climbed onto their camels and set off into the Sahara desert. "Never did like camels." Said Jonathan. "Filthy buggers. They smell, they bite, they spit. Disgusting."

The warden took that moment to spit in the sand. "Yeah disgusting." Agreed Rick as he watched the warden.

Grace nodded in agreement. "Well I think they're cute." Evy said, having the time of her life on top of her camel.

* * *

Day turned into night and Evy and Jonathan soon fell asleep, rocking gently to the rhythm of the camel. Evy slowly started to slide off her saddle so Rick caught up and gently pushed her back on. "You like her." Grace said tiredly to him.

He glanced at her but didn't deny it. "How old are you?" He asked curiously.

"Fifteen." Grace answered.

"Bit young to trek across the desert aren't you?" He questioned looking her up and down.

Grace glared at him. "Maybe, but they couldn't stop me. Egypt is my life; I wouldn't miss this for the world."

Rick didn't answer, he looked past her, to where a group of horseback riders could be seen watching them.

* * *

The dawning sun hadn't yet fully risen as Jonathan and the warden argued. "And you snore!" Jonathan cried.

"I do not snore!" The warden said defiantly.

"All night you snored."

"I have never snored!"

Up in front of them were Evy, Rick, and Grace. "We're almost there." Rick said to the girls.

"Are you sure?" Evy asked.

There was nothing but sand around them. Sand as far as the eye could see. "Pretty sure." He confirmed looking down.

Everyone else also looked down and saw dozen of skeletons sticking out of the ground, bleached and eaten away. Some of them looked like they were trying to crawl up out of the desert floor. "What in bloody hell is this?" Jonathan swore.

"Other seekers of Hamunaptra." The warden shivered in fear.

The Americans rode up behind them, accompanied by two dozen native diggers and an Arab Egyptologist. "Good morning, my friend." Beni greeted Rick.

Rick just nodded in answer and both men turned to stare out across the endless horizon. The Americans looked puzzled. "Well, what the hell we doin'?" One of them asked.

"Patience, my good sahib, patience." Beni said.

Another looked over at Rick. "First one to the city O'Connell! Five hundred cash bucks!"

Rick just nodded and stared out at the flat nothingness. The sun began rising in the distance, "get ready." Rick said.

Everybody could feel the suspense of the moment. "For what?" Evy asked.

"We're about to be shown the way." Rick replied cryptically. A large shape rose up from the left; it shifted a little before finally settling. Beni and Rick shared a grin and raced away, everyone else hot on their heels.

The race was intense; Beni got pushed off his steed and fell to the ground. It was almost neck and neck but Evy and Rick reached the ruins just before the Americans. "You owe me five hundred dollars boys!" Rick called after they had all made it.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

Under the guidance of the Egyptologist, the diggers were busy hauling rock and dirt out of the temple doorway whilst the Americans played poker. A little way away Rick, Evy, Jonathan, Grace, and the warden were all working next to a large Anubis face. Rick tied a rope around a pillar and threw the rest of the rope down a crevice, so they could rappel down. "That thing gives me the creeps." Jonathan muttered, staring at the giant Anubis face.

"Be nice." Chided Rick. "That thing saved my life."

Evy and Grace were positioning large, ancient mirrors along the crevice. "That 'thing' gets me excited." Evy commented as she adjusted one of the mirrors.

"The things that get you excited." Rick said sarcastically, rolling his eyes.

Evy ignored his comment. "According to Bembridge Scholars, inside the statue of Anubis was a secret compartment, perhaps even containing The Book of The Living." Evy said excitedly.

"What are those mirrors for?" Rick stared at them in confusion.

"It's an Ancient Egyptian trick... You'll see." Grace answered, looking between one mirror and another as she adjusted it slightly.

Rick shrugged before rappelling down into the crevice; Jonathan followed next, then Evy, then Grace, and finally the warden. Rick held a large torch and waved it around in the inky darkness. "Do you realize, we are standing inside a room that no one has entered in over four thousand years." Evy said whimsically.

Grace headed towards a metal disk on one of the walls. "Who cares? I don't see no treasure." The warden grumbled.

"You're welcome to my share of the spider webs." Rick offered as Grace brushed the cobwebs off the metal disk.

Jonathan sniffed the foul air, "and it stinks to high heaven in here." He said before realizing the smell was coming from the warden.

Grace rolled her eyes and picked the disk up. "Cretins." Evy commented. Grace carried the disk over to a pedestal and aimed it at a ray of light that had shined in from the outside mirrors.

The ray of light hit the disk and quickly shot off from one disk to another until the whole room was lit up. "And then there was light!" Grace said dramatically with a grin.

"That's a neat trick." Rick nodded appreciatively.

"Oh my God. It's a preparation room." Evy said making Grace look around the room. It felt very familiar to her and she didn't like the feeling she was getting.

Something bad had happened here, Grace knew. But it felt personal to her; she couldn't understand why she felt like this. "Preparation for what?" Rick asked as Grace tried to get a hold of her emotions.

She _knew_ she had never been here before, so why did this room seem so familiar to her? Why was she feeling like this? She couldn't figure it out and she didn't want to worry her brother and sister so she put the thoughts behind her. "For entering the afterlife." She answered Rick's question.

Rick quickly drew his gun. "Mummies, my good son, this is where they made the mummies." Jonathan said. Evy began heading down a narrow passageway so everybody followed her.

* * *

They made their way down a narrow, cobweb infested labyrinth. Every so often they would hear something clawing inside the walls, it got darker and darker as they went until finally they creeped out of the labyrinth and up to the foot of an enormous half-buried statue. It was the lower half of Anubis.

They could hear a different sound this time, footsteps, scratching. It was coming from the other side of the statue. Rick led the way cautiously, with his gun cocked and raised. They reached the other side and Rick leapt out around it, just as three others did the same. It was the Americans.

All three Americans had their guns up, cocked, and aimed. "Ya scared the bejeezus out of us, O'Connell." One of them said.

"Likewise." Rick commented but no one lowered their guns.

Another American grinned toothily. "This here is our statue, friend." He said.

"I don't see your name on it, pal." Rick retorted.

Beni, five diggers, and the Egyptologist chose that moment to step out of the shadows, holding their own guns that were aimed at Rick. "Ten to one, O'Connell, your odds are not so good." Beni said humourly.

"I've had worse." Rick stated.

The tension was thick, everybody waiting for someone to fire first. Then Evy gently took Rick's gun and lowered it. "Let's be nice children, if we're going to play together, we must learn to share." She said before pulling Rick away. Jonathan, the warden, and Grace follow her, ignoring the Americans laugh.

* * *

Evy led them to a different chamber with hieroglyphics covering the walls and ceiling. Rick, Jonathan, and Grace were using sledge-hammers against the ceiling, while Evy was chipping gently away with a tiny chisel, trying desperately to cause as little damage to the ancient building as possible. "According to my calculations, we should be right under the statue. We'll come up right between his legs." Evy said to the others.

"And when those dirty Yanks go to sleep-" Jonathan looked at Rick. "No offense."

"None taken." Rick waved off, taking another strike at the ceiling.

"-We'll sneak up and steal that book right out from under them." Jonathan continued.

"Are you sure you can find the secret compartment?" Rick asked with a glance at Evy.

"Yes, with Grace's help it'll be no problem. That's if their Egyptologist hasn't already found it." Evy commented and Grace nodded in agreement.

Jonathan paused his hammer, mid-strike, as he looked around the room. "I say, what's our smelly little friend got himself up to?" He asked.

The other three shrugged. "Who cares?" Grace said before taking another whack at the ceiling.

* * *

The four decided to take a break and had sat down on a fallen pillar, their hammers laying beside them, as the girls told the men about mummification. "Lemme get this straight, they stuck a sharp, red hot poker up your nose, cut your brain into small pieces, and then ripped it all out through your nostrils?" Rick paled.

"Ouch! That's really got to hurt." Jonathan said clutching his nose.

"It's called mummification. You're dead when they do this." Grace told them.

"Still..." Jonathan said and got cut off by a huge chunk of the ceiling giving out.

A massive sarcophagus dropped out of the ceiling and crashed to the floor where they had previously been standing. Dust and sand filled the room and it took a moment for it to clear. When it had started to clear all four of them slowly stood up and moved to the massive stone casement. "Oh my God... it looks like, it looks like a sarcophagus." Evy said her face was pale with shock.

"Buried at the foot of Anubis. He was either someone of great importance, or he did something very naughty." Grace said as she too looked over the sarcophagus.

Grace and Evy cleared off the dirt from the top of the sarcophagus to try and find out who it was. "Well who is it?" Jonathan asked impatiently drumming his fingers as they both deciphered the single hieroglyph.

The sisters shared a look, before looking at the men. "He that shall not be named." They said together.

Rick stepped towards it and dusted of an indent in the stone. "There's some sort of lock here." He said to them. Grace and Evy looked closer at what he had uncovered.

"Whoever's in here sure wasn't getting out." Jonathan commented.

"No kiddin', without a key, it'll take us a month to crack this thing." Rick agreed.

Evy lifted her head up at that, in surprise, her eyes wide. "A key! That's it! That's what he was talking about." She cried, going to Jonathan's bag.

"Who was talking about what?" Grace asked confused as she watched her sister rummage through the bag.

"The man on the barge. The one with the hook, he was looking for a key." She explained and pulled out the box.

Jonathan launched forward trying to take it back. "Hey, that's mine!" Evy slapped his hand away and stepped back over to the sarcophagus.

She unfolded the box and placed it in the lock's keyhole. It fit perfectly. That was when they heard screaming, the four looked at each other before running off in the direction of the screaming, Rick picked up the key first before following them.

They found the warden in the labyrinth screaming and dancing around. He started ripping his own hair out of his head as the four came to a stop. The warden pushed past them and ran down the length of the labyrinth, slamming his head straight into a rock wall. He fell to the ground, dead.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

It was night. Evy, Jonathan, and Grace were huddled up against the campfire in their base camp. "What do you suppose killed him?" Evy asked.

But no one had an answer. Rick chose that moment to return from the American camp, "seems the Americans had a little misadventure of their own today, three of their diggers were killed." He said as he sat on a rock beside them.

"How?" Evy asked.

"Salt acid. Pressurized salt acid. Some sort of ancient booby-trap." Rick answered.

Grace winced. "One of Seti's favourites. Not a nice way to go." She said with a shake of her head.

"Maybe this place really is cursed." Jonathan said with a touch of fear in his voice.

A gust of wind blew through the camp, causing the campfire to flicker. Rick and Jonathan shared a nervous look that caused Evy to laugh at them. "Honestly, you two!" She said.

"Don't believe in curses, huh?" Rick said.

"No. I believe if I can see it and I can touch it, then it's real. That's what I believe." She said firmly.

Rick cocked his rifle with a grin. "I believe in being prepared."

Jonathan opened the warden's pouch and reached in, feeling around. And then he screamed and pulled his hand back out. Rick, Evy, and Grace jumped and Rick pointed a gun at the pouch. Jonathan sucked his finger before reaching back into the pouch and pulled out a liquor bottle, the top had been chipped off. "Seagrams!" Jonathan smiled at the bottle.

Rick relaxed and put his gun back down. "Well, he may have been a stinky fellow... but he had good taste." Jonathan took a swig from the bottle.

There was silence for a moment before gunfire was heard from the American camp. Rick jumped up and threw his elephant gun to Evy. "Stay here." He ordered before running off in the direction of the camp.

Evy immediately got up and ran after him, "keep an eye on Gracie." She yelled to Jonathan as she left.

Grace and Jonathan shared a look. "Don't you dare!" Jonathan said to her as she slowly got up. Grace grinned at him before following after Evy. "Gracie! Get back here! Bloody hell." Jonathan cursed running after his sister.

The American camp was under siege, two dozen Medjai riders were galloping around, firing rifles and carrying scimitars. Grace found Evy watching the scene from behind some rocks and saw a large, tattooed Medjai rider approach her. Grace ran towards them as Evy turned around, noticing the man. She scooped up a stray scimitar as she ran and met the Medjai's scimitar as he went to kill Evy.

The large Medjai rider seemed surprised for a moment before he went for another blow at Grace. But Grace somehow, inexplicably, met his blow. "Gracie! What are you doing? Run!" Evy ordered.

But Grace wouldn't leave her sister with him. For some reason, handling the blade came naturally to her, she met every blow the rider gave, and she gave a few of her own. And then there was silence around them, Grace knew she shouldn't take her eyes off of her opponent but she had to know what was happening, she turned and saw Rick holding a lit stick of dynamite, facing a man.

Everybody was watching the pair, waiting for something to happen, as they held a staring contest. Finally the Medjai man pointed his scimitar at Rick's head, "Leave this place! Leave this place or die!" He ordered before galloping off, the rest of the Medjai riders following after him.

Rick pulled the fuse out of the dynamite after they had gone. "See! That proves it! Old Seti's fortunes gotta be under this sand!" One of the Americans shouted.

"For them to protect it like this, you just know there's got to be treasure down there." Another one agreed.

Rick looked around at the surrounding ridges. "These men are desert people. They value water, not gold."

* * *

Jonathan fell to the ground snoring, he was drunk. The bottle of Seagrams was almost empty. Rick offered the bottle to Evy, who was also drunk but she waved it away. "Unlike my brother, sir, I know when to say no." She said.

Rick shrugged and finished off the bottle before throwing it away. Grace had been forbidden to drink any by Evy when they had first got back to their camp. "Unlike your brother, Miss, you I don't get. You're a whole new brew." He said not nearly sounding as drunk as Evy and Jonathan.

"I know, you're wondering. What's a place like me doing in a girl like this?" Evy said. Grace snorted and hid her chuckles.

"Something like that."

"Egypt is in my blood. My father was a famous explorer; he loved Egypt so much that he married an Egyptian, my mother! Who was quite an adventurer herself." Evy explained proudly.

"Okay. I get your father, I get your mother, I get your brother, and I even sort of get your sister. But what are you doing here?" Rick asked.

Evy clearly insulted, staggered to her feet. "I may not be an explorer, or an adventurer, or a treasure hunter, or a gunfighter! Mister O'Connell, but I am proud of what I am."

"And what is that?" prompted Rick.

Evy plopped back down beside him; she grinned at him proudly and lifted her head high. "I am a librarian." She then leaned in very close to his face and looked him in the eye. "I'm going to kiss you, Mister O'Connell." She said.

Grace smirked at them, trying to contain her giggles. "No you're not." Rick replied.

"I'm not?"

"Not unless you call me Rick."

"Why would I do that?" She asked confusion in her voice.

"Because that's my name." Rick leaned forward and kissed her.

Evy gave him a goofy smile and then she passed out. Rick looked down at her and smiled. "Jonathan owes me ten quid." Grace said with a victory smile. Rick looked at her and shook his head.


	7. Chapter 7

"Egyptian"

"English"

 **Chapter Seven**

Evy put the key into the sarcophagus and turned it. The sarcophagus unlocked with a hiss and with some pushing and shoving, all four of them were able to slide the heavy lid off, it crashed loudly to the ground.

Together they heaved the coffin inside out of the sarcophagus and placed it on the floor next to it. "Oh my God, I've dreamed about this ever since I was a little girl." Evy said excitedly.

"You dream about dead guys?" Rick said incredulously.

Evy just gave him a look as Grace knelt down and brushed the dirt and cobwebs off the coffin, and then she froze. "Evy, look. All the sacred spells have been chiselled off. The hieratics and hieroglyphs that protect the deceased on his journey into the afterlife, they've been removed." Grace said running her hand over where the sacred spells should have been.

"Which means?" Rick asked.

"This man wasn't just cursed in this life, but in the next." Evy explained.

"Tough break." Rick rubbed his neck with the back of his hand.

"Yes, I'm all tears." Jonathan said in an uncaring voice. "Let's see whose inside, shall we?" Jonathan took the key from the sarcophagus and inserted it into the coffin, he turned it and the lid cracked open. A foul smell was released and Rick grabbed the lid, it was stuck. Jonathan gave him a hand and together they pulled with all their might.

The lid popped open and a hideous, maggot infested, rotten corpse jumped up. All four of them screamed at the top of their lungs before the corpse slumped back into his coffin. After they had gotten over the near heart attacks they suffered, they all creeped closer to look inside. "Is he supposed to look like that?" Rick asked.

Evy shook her head. "No, I've never seen a mummy look like this. He's, he's still..."

"Juicy?" Jonathan offered.

"Yes. He's more than four thousand years old and still decomposing." Evy added.

Grace looked away; the mummy was hideous to look at. She looked at the lid of the coffin and bent down to examine it. "Look at this." She said pointing out fingernail scratches and dried blood on the inside of the lid.

She traced her fingers over the scratches. "Oh my God, he was buried alive." Evy cried.

A chill was sent through everyone. "And he left a message." Grace added leaning closer to the hieratics written in blood. "It says: Death is only the beginning." She translated.

Jonathan shivered and Rick looked around nervously. "Where's my gun?" He asked.

"What are you going to do? Shoot him?" Jonathan asked.

"If he decides to wake up, hell yeah!"

* * *

The two camps decided to join together that night in case of another attack. Rick, Beni, and Jonathan were roasting chunks of hairy meat over a fire. The Americans came over, fondling jewelled canopic jars. "Say, O'Connell, whadaya think these'll fetch back home?" One of them asked mockingly.

"We hear you gentlemen found yerselves a nice gooey mummy. Congratulations." Another said sarcastically.

"Ya know, if ya dry him out, you can sell him for firewood." The third laughed.

Evy walked up to the group carrying a pile of dusty bug skeletons. "Scarabs, flesh eaters, I found them inside our friends coffin. They can stay alive for years living off the flesh of a corpse." Evy explained.

Rick and Jonathan stared at the skeletons in disgust. "Are you saying somebody threw these things in with our guy, and they slowly ate him alive?" Rick asked.

"Very slowly." Grace confirmed, sitting down next to her brother.

"He certainly was not a popular fellow when they planted him." Jonathan said pulling a stick of meat from the fire.

"According to my readings, our friend suffered the Hom-Dai, the worst of all ancient Egyptian curses, one reserved for only the most evil blasphemers. In all of my research I've never read of this curse actually having been performed." Evy said knowledgably.

Grace had never heard of the Hom-Dai and it made her wonder what this guy did that was bad enough to suffer this curse. "That bad, huh?" Rick asked.

"Yes, they never used it because they feared it so. It's written, that if a victim of the Hom-Dai should ever arise, he would bring with him the ten plagues of Egypt." Evy explained and a cold chill swept throughout the camp.

* * *

Grace was woken by Rick's voice later that night. "You sure you outta be playing around with that?" He had said.

Grace pushed herself up and saw Evy carrying a black book. "It's just a book; no harm ever came from a book." Evy replied as Grace came over to them.

"That's the book of the Dead." Grace stated. Evy put the key into the lock and opened it. "Be careful with that thing." She warned having a bad feeling.

"Honestly, you two! It's just a book." Evy opened the cover and the fire flickered. Shrugging she started reading. "Ahm kum Ra. Ahm kum Dei." She read aloud.

As she read on the wind picked up and the fire kept flickering. "No! No! You must not read from the book!" The Egyptologist was awake and ran over to them.

But he skidded to a stop as a whine could be heard coming from out in the desert. Everyone was awake now and leapt to their feet. The sound got louder and closer and then from the darkness a huge wall of locusts swarmed into the camp. People screamed and ran. Rick grabbed Evy and took off for the crevice with Jonathan and Grace at their side.

They jumped down and raced into the labyrinth, picking locusts out of their hair. "Did you see that?! Grasshoppers! Billions of grasshoppers!" Jonathan said wide-eyed.

"That's one of the plagues right? The grasshopper plague!" Rick declared.

"This is not a plague. It's generational. Every so many years the locusts of Egypt have a population explosion and they all take flight." Evy replied logically but the other three weren't so sure.

A squelch was heard as they took another step forward and Rick lowered his torch. The entire floor was filled with slimy frogs. "Okay... and what about frogs?"

The ground underneath them shook and then right in front of them hundreds of chattering scarab beetles boiled up from the sand and started scurrying towards them. Evy and Grace screamed and they all turned around and ran like the devil was after them.

They raced up a staircase, just barely ahead of the scurrying scarabs. Rick jumped out across to a pedestal and Jonathan followed him. Evy jumped across to a grotto on the other side of the narrow stairway with Grace following just after her. The herd of scarabs scurried between them up the staircase. Evy and Grace leant back against the wall, out of breath and Rick and Jonathan watched the scarabs scurry away up the stairs.

The wall moved and Grace and Evy fell through. When Jonathan and Rick next looked at them, they were gone. Evy and Grace sat up with a groan before standing up. It was pitch black, so they held hands to keep track of each other as they felt their way along the dark walls.

They rounded a corner and a shaft of moonlight filtered in through a crack in the ceiling, giving them some light. A man stood in the middle of the room and Evy walked towards him, "oh thank goodness, you're one of the Americans aren't you?" She said.

The man turned around, both of his eyes were missing, he stared at them with empty sockets. Evy screamed and backed away, bumping into something. She turned around and saw the mummy they had discovered, now with two fresh eyeballs in his sockets.

Evy screamed again and backed away into a wall near Grace who stood, staring in horror. The mummy squinted, "Anck-su-namun?" He said in Egyptian.

The mummy stepped forward, sand dancing around his flaking, skeletal legs. "Help me, please... help me." Evy begged Grace.

A moment of bravery came from the younger girl and she moved into the mummy's line of sight, in front of her sister. "Leave her alone!" She ordered a shake barely present in her voice.

The mummy was evidently surprised by her, as he stepped back several paces before looking at her closer. "Akila?" He asked, disbelief was clear in his voice.

Rick came flying round the corner and ran straight to Grace and Evy. "Would you two quit playing around! Let's get outta here already!" He yelled not seeing the mummy yet. Rick noticed the fear in Evy and Grace's eyes and turned around, at the sight of the mummy he jumped back in fright. "Woah!" He said. The mummy unhinged his skeletal jaw and let out a horrific, inhumane shriek. Rick roared right back at him before firing his elephant gun.

The mummy got thrown off his feet. Rick grabbed Evy and Grace and ran for it. The three stumbled up out of the crevice and came face to face with ten armed Medjai. The Medjai quickly raised their guns and Rick, Evy, and Grace raised their hands. Jonathan, two Americans, and the Egyptologist were already on their knees, hands over their heads. One of the Medjai stepped forward, "I told you to leave or die, you refused, and now you may have killed us all. For you have unleashed the creature that we have feared for more than four thousand years." He said.

"Relax, I got him." Rick stated.

"No mortal weapons can kill this creature. He is not of this world." The man insisted.

Several Medjai dragged the American with the missing eyes and tongue up. The other two Americans were especially horrified. "You bastards!" One said.

"What did you do to Burns?" The other demanded.

"We saved him!" The leader Medjai said. "Saved him before the creature could finish his work. Now leave, all of you, quickly, before he finishes you all." He ordered. "We must now hunt him down, and try to find a way to kill him, before he consumes the earth. Allah be with us."

The leader and the Medjai started to head down into the crevice. "I told ya, I already got him!" Rick yelled trying to convince himself.

The leader stopped and looked at him, deadly serious. "Know this, the creature will be coming for you. He must consummate the curse. And until he does, he will never eat, he will never sleep, and he will never stop." He turned and jumped down into the crevice.


	8. Chapter 8

"Egyptian"

"English."

 **Chapter Eight**

Grace was sitting at the bar with Jonathan and Henderson, one of the Americans. Rick was upstairs in Evy's room arguing with her. Jonathan and Henderson were nursing their drinks and talking about the day's events with Grace when Rick finally came down and ordered three shots. He gave one each to Jonathan and Henderson, the glasses clinked together and they drank them before promptly spitting them out. Grace also spat out her mouthful of coke that she had been drinking. "Sweet Jesus! That tasted just like... like..." Henderson either couldn't or didn't want to finish.

"Blood." Grace finished as she stared at the water fountain that had turned red.

They all looked at each other nervously. "And the rivers and waters of Egypt went red and were as blood." Jonathan recited.

A look of realization passed over Rick's face. "He's here." Rick jumped up and ran for the door with Grace and Jonathan on his heels. He ran out to the courtyard, "Evelyn! Oh Evelyn!" Rick called as he ran to her in the middle of the courtyard.

A blast of thunder and lightning struck the sky. "We got problems." Rick said when he reached her. A barrage of Hail and fire slammed into the courtyard, sending everyone running for cover. "He's here, the mummy. I saw him!"

"Are you sure?" Evy asked.

Rick gave her an incredulous look and gestured to the sky. "Pretty sure!" The hail and fire came to a stop and everything went deadly quiet. Then a blood curdling scream was heard coming from the living quarters of the fort. Evy, Grace, Rick, and Jonathan took off up the stairs towards the scream.

They raced into the room and skidded to a stop as they spotted Burns, or what was left of him, lying dead on the floor. They heard a low moan and noticed the mummy standing on the far side of the room. Rick drew his gun immediately.

A thick skin formed over powerful new musculature, the mummy's tendons rippled. His bones bulged, and reformed. And then it was over, he looked like an incredibly muscular corpse. The four are stunned, "we are in serious trouble." Rick stated as the mummy moved towards them, staring at Evy and Grace. "Back off, creep." Rick aimed his gun.

The mummy kept coming so Rick opened fire, blasting him with bullets. But the mummy didn't seem to mind. Rick stepped forward and threw a right hook; his fist just went straight through the mummy's face. Rick stared at it and then yanked his fist back out. The mummy then turned to Rick angrily and threw him across the room into Jonathan, Henderson, and Daniels who had entered the room, they all got knocked down.

The mummy then turned to Evy and Grace, who backed into a wall away from him. The mummy stepped up to Evy first, "You saved me from the undead, for this I thank you." He said before turning to Grace. "Akila, I thought I would never see you again. Please, forgive me for what I did to you." He begged and reached out a hand.

Grace swallowed hard and tried to get away from the hand. A white cat jumped onto the piano and hissed at the mummy. The mummy looked at it and shrieked, the balcony doors blew open and the mummy spun into a blast of wind and sand and swirled out of the doors. He was gone.

* * *

Rick, Grace, Jonathan, Henderson, and Daniels followed Evy across the Ramesseum in Cairo's museum of antiquities. "There's only one person I know who can possibly give us some answers." Evy said as they rushed along.

They turned around a corner and came upon the curator who was talking with the Medjai leader. "You!" Everyone shouted.

Rick and the Americans quickly drew their guns and aimed at the Medjai. "Carnahan's, gentlemen." The curator nodded.

"What is he doing here?" Evy demanded.

"Do you truly want to know?" The curator raised an eyebrow. "Or would you prefer to just shoot us?"

The tension was thick and then Rick uncocked his .38 pistol. "I'm willin', to go on a little faith here." He said, sliding his gun back into his shoulder-holster.

Everyone assembled around the tomb display of Seti the first, facing the curator and the Medjai leader who introduced himself as Ardeth Bay. "We are part of an ancient secret society, the Medjai, and we have a sacred mission, passed down throughout thirty-nine generations. For over four thousand years we have guarded the city of the dead. We are sworn at manhood to do any and all in our power to stop the High Priest Imhotep from being reborn into this world." The curator explained.

So that's who this mummy was, Grace thought. "And because of you, we have failed." Ardeth Bay accused.

"And you think this justifies killing innocent people?" Evy asked appalled.

"To have stopped this creature? Yes!" The curator confirmed.

"Okay, let's cut to the chase. He's afraid of cats, what's that about?" Rick questioned.

Grace cleared her throat. "Cat's are the guardians of the underworld, according to Egyptian superstition. He'll probably fear them until he's fully regenerated." She explained and received a nod from the curator.

"Right! And ya know how he gets fully regenerated?" Daniels cried hysterically. "By killing everybody who opened that chest and sucking us dry! That's how!"

"Yes, the creature must first try and regenerate, and then he will attempt to resurrect the one he has loved for more than four thousand years." The curator confirmed.

"Anck-su-namun." Evy muttered. The curator and Ardeth looked at her surprised. "In the necropolis, when I saw him alive, he called me Anck-su-namun." She explained.

The curator nodded once. "It is because it was you who read from the book. He has chosen you to be the human sacrifice needed to regenerate the body of Anck-su-namun."

Jonathan scratched his ear with the barrel of his pistol, "bad luck old mum."

Grace cleared her throat again and all eyes turned to her, "in the necropolis and in Mr Burns' room he called me Akila." She said her mouth dry with nervousness.

Ardeth Bay looked at her with new eyes and the curator also looked at her closely. "Do you have the picture?" The curator asked Ardeth. He nodded and reached into his robes, taking out an old piece of papyrus. The curator held it up and looked between Grace and the picture.

Ardeth also looked between them, his eyes widening. "Impossible!" He cried.

Grace was getting creeped out now. "What?" She asked.

The curator turned it around to show her. It was a picture of her only she was wearing old Egyptian clothes. "This is Akila. She was Anck-su-namun's daughter, her true parentage unknown for fifteen years by anyone other than Imhotep and Anck-su-namun themselves. When she was born Anck-su-namun pretended that she was Seti's blood but she was really Imhotep's. She was born with powers given to her by Osiris which made her blessed. When she was fifteen years old her true parentage got out and Seti had her killed for it, her powers were stripped from her first and Imhotep placed a curse on her stating that only if she forgave him for the crime he committed against her would she ever regain her powers." The curator said showing the picture to the others too.

"It is said that if the creature ever arose from his grave he would first resurrect his love, and then seek his daughter's forgiveness. And if Akila ever forgave him and regained her powers, then Allah help us all." Ardeth added. "Until now, Akila has never been reincarnated, for what reason we don't know." He continued, looking at her uneasily.

Silence took over them all as they stared at Grace. "What exactly did he do to her?" Grace asked trying not to let her fear show.

"He is the reason she was killed." Ardeth answered.

No one got to say anything else for the room started to go dark. They all looked out of the window and saw the sun which had started to go into a full eclipse. "...And he stretched forth his hands towards the heavens, and there was darkness throughout the land of Egypt." Jonathan recited.


	9. Chapter 9

"Egyptian"

"English."

 **Chapter Nine**

Back at the fort Rick was looking out at the window at the British Soldiers manning the walls, the sun still black behind them. Evy and Jonathan were pacing the foyer while Grace was sitting on the sofa trying not to panic. "We must stop him from regenerating." Evy said. She turned to Daniels and Henderson, "who opened that chest?" She asked.

"Well, there was me and Daniels here and then poor Burns of course, oh yeah, and that Egyptologist fella." Henderson answered.

Rick turned from the window to face them, "what about my buddy, Beni?" He asked.

"Na, he scrammed outta there before we opened the damn thing." Daniels replied.

"We must find the Egyptologist and bring him back here to the safety of the fort, before the creature can get to him." Evy stated firmly.

Rick looked between them all, a plan forming in his mind. "Okay... Evelyn, you wait here with Grace, you two come with me." He looked at Daniels and Henderson.

At once all three of them pounced on him, only Grace didn't have any arguments. "The hell with that! I'm not goin' nowhere! We're safe here!" Henderson refused.

"Yeah, I'm not leavin, this fort for nothin'." Daniels agreed.

"Who put you in charge? You can't just leave me behind like some old suitcase. I'm the one responsible for this mess and I intend to be the one to clean it up." Evy yelled. Rick shook his head and sighed. He then grabbed Evy over his shoulder. "O'Connell! What are you doing! O'Connell, put me down this instant!" She screamed as he carried her into the bedroom, slamming the door and locking it.

They could hear Evy pounding on the door, yelling at him. Rick threw the key to Daniels. "Keep an eye on her. No one goes in, and no one goes out. Got it?" Daniels nodded. "C'mon Jonathan. You too Grace, you're probably safer with us." He said looking between the Americans.

Grace nodded and got up. "Me?" Jonathan swallowed hard and pointed to himself.

* * *

Grace, Rick, and Jonathan got to the Egyptologist's office to find Beni ransacking it, pulling drawers out and throwing files on the floor. He started tipping over bookcases and clearing shelves when they walked in. "Well, well, well." Rick said. Beni spun around to face them. "Lemme guess, spring cleaning?" Rick said sarcastically.

Beni turned and ran for an open window but Rick grabbed a chair and flung it in his path. Beni tripped and crashed into a wall; Rick strode over and lifted him up the wall, Beni's feet dangling off the floor. "Where's your new friend?" Rick asked.

"What friend? You're my only friend." Beni said feebly.

Rick slid a knife under Beni's chin. "Then you got no excuse for living. What the hell you doin, being buddies with this creep, Beni? What's in it for you?" Rick questioned.

"It is better to be the right hand of the Devil than in his path. As long as I serve him, I am immune." Beni said cryptically.

"Immune from what?"

Beni grinned. "You shall see."

"What are you looking for? Lie and I'll slit your throat." Rick warned.

He shoved the knife deeper into Beni's skin and Beni whimpered a little. "The book!" He cried. "The black book they found at Hamunaptra! Imhotep wants it back. Said to me it would be worth it's weight in diamonds."

"What does he want the book for?"

Beni shrugged. "Something about bringing his dead girlfriend back to life..." He said and looked at Jonathan, "and your sisters."

Rick looked at Jonathan and Grace and Beni took the chance to knee Rick in the balls. Rick doubled over and collapsed, allowing Beni to leap out of the window. Jonathan cringed as Rick groaned, climbing to his feet, wincing as he did so. "That looked rather painful." Jonathan said.

"Ya know," Rick winced. "Ever since I met you, my luck has been for crap."

Jonathan chuckled. "Yes, I know. I do that to people." He said. That's when they heard a blood curdling scream coming from down in the bazaar. Rick, Grace, and Jonathan scrambled to the window to look out.

They looked down as the mummy, now regenerated even more, reached down and took the canopic jar out of the now dead Egyptologist's shrivelled hand. He then looked up at the three of them and grinned. The mummy then unhinged his jaw, his mouth stretched to an inhuman size, and then a swarm of flies came out of his mouth and raced straight for the three.

Jonathan and Rick slammed the shutters and the flies crashed into the closed window. The three looked at each other, panic clear on each of their faces. "That's two down, only two to go." Rick cursed.

"And then he'll be coming after Evy." Jonathan added. They shared another look and then raced out of the office.

* * *

Rick, Grace, and Jonathan raced into the foyer but skidded to a stop as they saw Henderson's shrivelled body on the floor. Rick ran to Evy's bedroom door and looked through the key hole then he kicked the door down with a bang. "Get your hands off her!" Rick yelled at the mummy who was inside kissing Evy.

Imhotep turned and looked at the three who had entered. Grace looked around wildly and spotted the white cat not far away. She picked it up and Rick caught on to what she was doing, "Look what I've got." He said with a fake gasp and took the cat off Grace.

He threw the cat at Imhotep and instinctively the mummy caught it. He shrieked at it and dropped it before bursting into a whirlwind of sand and vanished out of the now open window. Daniels walked in and took one look at Henderson's body before dropping his martini glass.

* * *

It was night and the group had gone back to the museum of antiquities to meet up with Ardeth and the curator. They followed Evy as she strode through the museum with purpose. "Last month I came across an inscription that mentioned the book of the dead."

"That book we found at Hamunaptra?" Daniels asked her.

"Yes." Evy confirmed. "I dismissed it because it talked about bringing people back from the dead. A notion I was unwilling to believe."

"Believe it sister. That's what brought our buddy back to life." Rick said.

"And now he's going to use it to bring his girlfriend back." Jonathan put in.

"And if he succeeds, and earns Akila's forgiveness, the three of them together will bring about the next apocalypse. Even without Akila's help, mankind is doomed." Ardeth said from the other side of them.

The curator joined Evy at her side as they headed up the stairs. "The plagues we have seen so far are merely Imhotep flexing his muscles. Only at the moment of Anck-su-namun's resurrection will he be truly invincible." He explained.

They finally stopped in front of some display cases which Evy quickly opened. "I'm thinking that if the black Book of the Dead can bring people back to life-"

"-Then maybe the golden Book of the Living can return them back to the underworld." Grace finished with wide eyes.

"Exactly." Evy agreed.

"So your sayin', if we find the book made outta gold, and read the incantations inside, it'll send this guy back to hell?" Rick asked making sure he understood right.

"This would be a floorless plan except only a High Priest or those born with powers can get the sacred incantations to work." Ardeth pointed out.

"But Evy read from the black book and brought the mummy back to life." Jonathan commented in confusion.

Ardeth shook his head. "There are very few incantations in both books that work for ordinary people. It is likely you simply read one that worked but there is no telling which ones work for ordinary people and which ones do not." He explained.

"Well it's the only plan we've got. So we've got to try." Evy said with determination.

A loud chanting could be heard coming from outside. They rushed to the upper windows and looked down. A large mob covered in hideous boils and sores were outside, chanting, and coming up to the museum. "It has begun. The beginning of the end." Ardeth said dramatically.

"Not quite yet it hasn't. Grace, give me a hand." Evy said dashing back to the display cases.

Grace followed after her quickly. Helping her go through the pieces of stone tablets, translating it. A banging on the door could be heard as they sorted through the broken pieces of tablet. "Got it!" Evy said. Grace looked at the piece of tablet her sister was holding. "Since the black Book of the Dead was found inside the statue of Anubis, then according to this, the golden Book of the Living should be inside..." Evy trailed off struggling to translate the last bit.

"Come on!" Rick cried impatiently as the banging got louder.

"Patience is a virtue!" Evy chided.

"Not right now it isn't!" Rick yelled as the doors broke and charging footsteps could be heard coming up the stairs.

Jonathan ran off, muttering something about getting the car started. "The golden Book of the Living should be inside the statue of Horus!" Grace deciphered.

"That is located not far to the east of the Anubis statue." The curator said. The mob appeared at the end of the corridor so the group shared a look and then ran across the balcony and down the other staircase.

They ran out of the door just as Jonathan pulled up with the car. They all clambered in just as they heard Beni shout, "Imhotep! Imhotep!"

He was standing on the steps. Imhotep looked out of the museum from the upper windows and Jonathan started to drive off, "You're gonna get yours, Beni!" Rick shouted pointing a finger at him.

Imhotep's disease ridden followers began chasing after the car. The mob were getting closer and closer to them, some jumped onto the car making everyone fight them off. Jonathan swerved the car and crashed into some stalls, knocking some of the mob off. But a few managed to yank Daniels out of the car and he tumbled to the pavement, getting up quickly and shooting at the mob.

Daniels got backed into a corner and eventually his gun went empty. The mob stayed back, surrounding him like vultures. Daniels eyed them, filled with fear. The mob began to part, allowing Imhotep to walk through and up to Daniels who whimpered in fear.

Back in the car the others heard Daniels blood curdling scream as he was killed. One of the hideous slaves crashed through the windshield of the car, making them scream and Jonathan lose control. Jonathan slammed the car into a wall. "C'mon, let's go!" Rick ordered, jumping out of the car.

They all followed him but they didn't get very far because the festering mob quickly surrounded them. Like they did before, the mob parted for Imhotep before closing the gap. He stepped through, now fully regenerated. He now looked as young, handsome, and muscular as he did the day he was buried alive. "He has consummated the curse." The curator said.

Imhotep stopped in front of them and stared at Grace who, now seeing him whole for the first time, was getting a strange vision. _She was younger, around five years old, and she was running up to Imhotep who was standing with open arms and a smile on his face. He lifted her up as she reached him and spoke to her softly, in a loving tone._ As quickly as it came the vision left her mind and Grace had to blink a few times to remind herself where she was, it had felt so real. Beni emerged from the crowd and stood next to Imhotep. Imhotep looked away from her and at Evy before extending his hand. " _Come with me, my princess. It is time to make you mine, for all eternity. "_ Imhotep said.

"Come with me, my princess. It is time to make you mine, forever." Beni mistranslated.

"For all eternity idiot." Evy corrected.

"Take my hand and I will spare the others." Imhotep continued and Beni translated it right this time.

Evy hesitated looking around for a way out. "Any bright ideas?" She asked Rick.

Rick gritted his teeth. "Sorry, fresh out." He muttered angrily.

Evy looked back at Imhotep and then slowly started to reach out to take his hand. "No, Evelyn!" Rick said and tried to get to her but Ardeth held him tight.

Imhotep's hand closed around Evy's and he smiled. "You better think of something," Evy said to Rick. "Because if he turns me into a mummy, you're the first one I'm coming after."

Imhotep turned to Grace and held out his other hand. "Akila, my child. Come with me and together we will resurrect your mother." He said.

Beni translated again and that caused Rick and Jonathan to get angry. "You don't need both of them! She's just a child!" Rick spat.

Imhotep glared at him. "Come, daughter. Or I will kill your friends." He said again, extending his hand further.

Grace looked between him, Evy, and Jonathan before finally placing her hand in his. "No!" Evy and Jonathan cried.

"It's okay." She said softly to Jonathan.

"Remember what we told you, Grace. Don't forgive him! No matter what he tells you!" Ardeth shouted as Imhotep led them away.

Evy looked back at Rick as they were taken. "Kill them." Imhotep ordered.

"No!" Grace and Evy screamed, trying to get back to them.

Imhotep pulled them forward with ease. Beni caught up with them with the key in his hand, he handed it to Imhotep who took it silently and placed it in his robes.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter Ten**

The mob moved in for the kill around Rick, Jonathan, the curator, and Ardeth. Rick quickly bent down and pulled the cover off a manhole and shoved Jonathan down inside it, then jumped in after him. The curator pushed Ardeth towards the hole, "Go! Find a way! Kill the creature!" The curator ordered. The curator then turned and threw himself at the mob as Ardeth climbed down the hole.

Rick, Jonathan, and Ardeth sloshed their way down the watery catacomb, the mob pouring in behind them. Rick took a stick of dynamite out and a match and lit it before throwing it at the mob. The dynamite incinerated a large portion of the mob.

* * *

A sewer grate was kicked out of the wall. Rick, Jonathan, and Ardeth climbed out of the hole and into an alleyway. "We gotta get 'em back." Rick said.

"I'm with you, old man. No one touches my sisters like that and gets away with it." Jonathan agreed.

Rick looked at Ardeth. "You know where he's taking them?" He asked.

"Yes," Ardeth confirmed. "To Hamunaptra. To perform the ritual and to try and earn Akila's forgiveness, only in Hamunaptra would he stand a chance- it is where she was born and where she died." He explained.

Jonathan looked worried. "What if he realises Grace isn't this Akila? Would he sacrifice her like he is with Evy?" He asked concern for his sisters clear on his face.

"No, you do not understand this yet. But being blessed with Osiris' powers, Akila cannot truly die. Grace _is_ Akila in body, her mind just needs opening. If the creature realises Grace doesn't remember him then he will try to restore her memories." Ardeth explained. He then turned to Rick, "the creature is now able to cross the desert with great haste. If he arrives before us it will be too late." He warned.

Rick smiled, "I know how to beat him to it."

* * *

Rick's solution turned out to be a single WW1 Biplane. "So what's your little problem got to do with His Majesty's Royal Air corp?" Winston, the pilot, asked.

"Not a god-damned thing." Rick admitted.

Winston looked intrigued. "Is it dangerous?" He asked.

"You probably won't live through it." Rick confirmed.

That seemed to really interest him. "By Jove, do you really think so?"

"Everybody else we've bumped into has died, why not you?" Jonathan put in. Noticing the more dangerous they made it sound, the more likely he was to agree.

Winston nodded his head, he was hooked. "So what's the challenge then?" He questioned.

"Save the damsels in distress, kill the bad guy, and steal his treasure." Rick listed.

A slow grin spread across Winston's face and then he gave them a salute, "Winston Havlock at your service, sir!"

* * *

The wind whipped at them as they flew over the desert in the biplane. Winston was in the cockpit, Rick was in the gunners compartment, Jonathan was strapped to the left wing, and Ardeth was tied to the right wing. Jonathan was screaming in fear but Ardeth had a big grin spread across his face.

Rick looked down and saw the desert below them come alive and rise up toward the plane. Winston looked over the side and saw what was coming. He laughed, threw the throttle, and put the plane into a dive. "Hang on, men!" He laughed.

The sand storm chased the diving, twisting biplane. It got closer and closer, about to engulf it. Rick looked into the sandstorm to see Imhotep's face grinning back at him. Rick grabbed the machine gun and fired away into Imhotep's giant face. Imhotep's face began to laugh, then his jaw unhinged, his mouth opening wide, and he engulfed the plane. Winston blindly fought for control, "we're going down!" He said in glee.

The biplane spun inside the blowing sand. Engines roared and the wind howled, Jonathan and Ardeth were screaming. "Here I come, laddies!" Winston laughed. The ground got closer and closer.

The biplane smashed over a dune, rolled over, and crashed upside down into another dune. The sand swirled as Rick fell out of the gunners compartment. The left wing was jammed into the dune, and Jonathan hung upside down. "Excuse me. A little help would be useful... If it's not too much trouble!" Jonathan yelled hysterically.

Rick went over to help Jonathan as Ardeth stumbled over to the gunners compartment, tearing off the gun and grabbing the spare cartridge belt before staggering away. Rick and Jonathan looked into the cockpit and found Winston Havlock dead, with a smile on his face.

The plane then started to move, the sand sinking under their feet. The three men quickly moved away and watched as the plane, along with Winston, slid under the quick sand.


	11. Chapter 11

"Egyptian"

"English."

 _memory_

 **Chapter Eleven**

Evy and Grace had arrived at Hamunaptra with Imhotep and Beni. They went down the steps through the entrance and passed through the preparation room. As they entered an overwhelming feeling of fear, dread, and anger came over Grace. She stopped in her tracks, causing Beni to bump into her. "Grace, are you okay?" Evy asked the younger girl, having heard the thump. Grace shook her head, unable to get rid of the feelings. "What's wrong?" Evy asked, holding the younger girls arms.

Grace looked at Imhotep who was staring at her. For some reason being in this room with the mummy was causing her to feel like this, she hadn't felt such strong feelings before he had been resurrected. "She is remembering." Imhotep said as realisation crossed his face.

Evy looked to Grace in confusion. Grace shook her head, "not a memory, just feelings. What did you do to her to make her feel so... afraid and angry?" Grace asked him.

Imhotep seemed saddened, whether from remembering or from Grace _not_ remembering she didn't know. Imhotep didn't answer and instead carried on walking through the room, Grace and Evy followed, being prodded on by Beni. After they left the room the intense feelings left Grace and she felt back to normal.

They reached an underground cemetery and Imhotep led them across a bridge over a moat that was a disgusting black colour. A gunshot echoed through the cemetery as they stepped up to a strange altar. Imhotep scowled angrily and reached into a canopic jar. He pulled out the crusted remains of Anck-su-namun's heart and crushed it into dust before reading from the book of the Dead. He then blew the dust against a mausoleum wall and the wall started to come alive.

Evy, Beni, and Grace stared at the wall wide eyed as two forms emerged from it. Two of Imhotep's mummified Priests stepped out and bowed to Imhotep before moving off down a passageway. Imhotep prepared the altar while speaking Hebrew; Beni held Grace and Evy at gunpoint while translating. "Prince Imhotep wants your heart." He said to Evy.

Evy blushed feeling complemented. "Tell him, I'm truly flattered but that it's already taken." She said.

Imhotep continued speaking while laying the four jewel encrusted canopic jars next to the shattered one. "He wants your heart and your brain, your liver, your kidneys..." Beni continued causing Evy's eyes to widen. "And how do you say? Those slimy things, in your stomach?" Beni asked.

"Intestines." Grace supplied.

"Yeah! Them."

Evy couldn't believe it. She turned furiously to Imhotep. "You only want me for my organs?!" Imhotep looked at her and grinned before blowing some dust into her face.

Evy fell to the ground, unconscious. Imhotep stared at her coldly and Grace crouched to her, making sure she was still breathing. He picked Evy up and placed her on the altar, Grace tried to stop him but Beni grabbed a hold of her, holding his gun against her head. The mummy placed chains on Evy's wrists and ankles, holding her down onto the altar before turning to Grace. "You remember nothing?" He asked.

"You remember nothing?" Beni translated.

"I can understand him, dumbass." Grace spat at him before stamping on his foot hard causing him to squeal and release her. Imhotep smirked at her as Beni rubbed his foot. "One memory. I was five, I was running to you, you held open your arms and picked me up." Grace answered him honestly.

Imhotep smiled warmly. "Come." He ordered, holding out his hand. Grace took it shakily, not wanting to leave Evy.

They vanished in a whirlwind of sand, leaving Beni with Evy. They appeared again in another room that seemed strangely familiar to her. They walked further inside the room before stopping and Imhotep stared at her as she looked around. The room seemed to change, fallen debris corrected itself, the walls became golden, a bed appeared in one corner, and toys appeared dotted around the room. "This was my room?" Grace asked but she knew it was.

Imhotep nodded, "Your main room is in Thebes. This is where you stayed when we were here." He explained.

 _A younger version of her ran past her laughing but Akila stopped laughing when she saw who was in her room_ , Grace hadn't noticed until now but another Imhotep was in her room. _Akila froze for a moment before looking around her and outside the room. After checking it was clear she ran to him and hugged him around the waist,_ _"_ _Father, you're here!"_ _she cried. Imhotep smiled warmly at his daughter before kneeling down to hug her properly._ Their voices faded out as the room changed, but the memory stayed clear in her mind.

The room changed, there were no longer toys dotted around the room. Instead there was a golden dressing table, some jewellery hanging from it, swords and other weapons were also dotted around. And sitting on a larger bed was herself, no _Akila,_ Grace reminded herself. She looked to be around thirteen/fourteen now.

 _The bedroom door opened and Imhotep stepped in with a present in his hand. He shut the door behind him and approached the bed._ _"_ _Happy Birthday, princess. "_ _He said warmly, handing her the present. Akila tore off the wrapping to reveal a box; she opened it and found a chunky bracelet that was made up of golden circles, with large, glowing, circular green emeralds inside. And in the middle of the bracelet, in place of four emeralds was the eye of Osiris, studded with diamonds._ _"_ _It is protected. Wear it always and it will keep you safe from those who wish to use your powers. "_ _Imhotep explained._

 _Akila slipped it onto her wrist and it shrunk to fit. She smiled at it,_ _"_ _I love it! Thank you, father." __She said and hugged him._ Grace could see the love in both of their eyes and wished to know what happened to change that.

The room changed back to how it looked now and Grace found a tear running down her cheek, she wiped it away quickly. "We were so close. What did you do to make me hate you?" Grace asked with tears still in her eyes.

Imhotep looked away from her sadly. "Tell me!" Grace demanded. Imhotep looked back at her and just as he was about to answer a resounding boom shook the room. Imhotep looked out the door angrily before wrapping them in sand again.

They reappeared in the room they had left Evy and Beni in, only Beni wasn't there anymore and Evy was awake. Priest mummies surrounded the altar she was tied to, chanting. Imhotep stepped up to the altar reading from the book of the dead, which Grace didn't even realise he had. She had been so wrapped up in what she could now remember from her past life, that she hadn't been aware of her surroundings.

As Imhotep read, a large swirling hole started to open in the bog. Grace could do nothing but watch in a cross between horror and amazement as a mist wafted up out of the bog, passed through the sacred jars, and into Anck-su-namun's rotted body beside Evy. Anck-su-namun's crusty eyelids popped open and her head turned to look at Evy with empty sockets.

Evy struggled harder and it was then that Grace noticed Imhotep standing over Evy with a sacrificial knife. Grace ran to him as he brought it down and caught his arm, inches from her chest. The whole situation was giving her a horrible sense of déjà vu, and the hatred for the mummy seemed to intensify. "No! Not again!" Grace said fiercely at him, not even registering that she spoke Egyptian rather than English.

Imhotep was startled, Grace's eyes were vibrant and there was something behind them, waiting to be let out. Before he could say anything to her, Rick and Jonathan burst into the room. Imhotep spun around to face them, "I found it Evy, I found it!" Jonathan beamed as he held up the book of the living.

"Shut up and get me off of here!" Evy snapped. Rick grabbed an ancient sword out of a statue's hand, and jumped up onto a gravestone, leaping over the Priest-mummies that had now stopped chanting.

Imhotep stepped towards Rick and ordered the Priests to kill him. "Open the book, Jonathan! It's the only way to kill him!" Evy shouted as Grace ran to her.

Rick was fighting against the Priests, fighting his way to Evy. Grace tried to unlock the chains holding Evy down but they wouldn't budge. "I can't open it! It's locked or something!" Jonathan cried. Grace ran to get a sword and with a clang, brought it down on one of Evy's chains. It broke free instantly. "We need the key!" Jonathan yelled.

"It's in his robe!" Grace told him as she brought her sword down on another chain, Evy's arms were free.

"Read the inscription on the cover!" Evy ordered Jonathan as she sat up. Grace cut off another chain as Jonathan attempted to read the cover but his Egyptian was awful.

Realising it wasn't working Jonathan began backing into a corner as Imhotep moved in on him. Grace brought her sword down once more. "It won't work for him. Remember, only a High Priest or someone blessed with powers can use the enchantments. We don't know which ones will work for normal people." Grace reminded as Evy jumped off the table.

"But none of us can use it then!" Evy cried. A skeletal hand grabbed Evy's shoulder, it was Anck-su-namun and in her hand was a sword.

"Akila can." Grace muttered.

"What?!" Evy shouted as she ducked to avoid Anck-su-namun's swing.

"Akila can use the enchantments!" Grace said in realisation."Here." She handed her the sword in her hand before taking off to Jonathan; Imhotep was getting closer to him. Rick was still trying to cut down the Priests.

Grace ran past Imhotep and slid next to Jonathan. "Give it here." Grace said. Jonathan passed it to her happily. "Keetash nae, naraba soocarn. Ebarra im hatu kashka, rasheem, rasheem, Anubis." She read, her voice having a tingle of magic. At her words a small army of Anubis warriors entered the room. "Hootash im Ahemnophus!" Grace finished.

The Anubis warriors stopped where they were and looked at her for orders. "Bakah reelon Anck-su-namun!" She ordered seeing the corpse strangling Evy.

Imhotep shrieked in horror and spun around, "Anck-su-namun!" He cried but the Anubis warriors made quick work of her. Rick had finally killed the priests and was running over to Imhotep who had now turned on Grace and Jonathan. Imhotep hoisted Jonathan up the wall by his neck and Rick ran up to them. With a quick swipe, Rick cut Imhotep's arm clean off, causing Jonathan to fall to the ground.


	12. Chapter 12

"Egyptian"

"English."

 **Chapter Twelve**

Imhotep spun around to face Rick who grinned at him. "Okay pal, let's see how tough you are without your right arm." He said cockily. Imhotep grabbed Rick with his left hand and threw him halfway across the cemetery. Rick slammed into a gravestone before hitting the ground hard. "Alright..." He groaned, sitting up. "So he's left handed." Imhotep was already striding towards him.

Jonathan lifted up the key. "I've got it!" He cried, smiling at Grace and Evy who had run over to them after Anck-su-namun had been killed.

Rick and Imhotep fought. Rick's sword cut through Imhotep numerous times but each time Imhotep threw Rick with his superhuman strength, unharmed by the normally fatal blows."Keep him busy!" Evy shouted to Rick.

Rick flew over the top of them, "No problem." He said as he went before crashing into another gravestone.

Jonathan inserted the key into the book that was still in Grace's arms and unlocked it just as Imhotep threw Rick's sword away and grabbed him by the throat. Evy flicked through the pages quickly before stopping at a page and turning to face Imhotep. "Kadeesh mal! Kadeesh mal! Pared oos! Pared oos!" She chanted. Imhotep looked at her and laughed as he choked Rick who was starting to turn blue. "Why didn't it work?! It should have worked!" Evy cried.

Grace rolled her eyes, did her sister not remember? "Kadeesh mal! Kadeesh mal!" Grace began chanting and Imhotep whirled around to face her, terror on his face. Grace met his eyes, "Pared oos! Pared oos!" She finished, feeling the magic in the air.

The bog began to bubble and shift and then a swirling hole opened. A ghostly blue chariot charged out, Imhotep dropped Rick, who fell to the ground, and tried to run from the chariot. Rick ran over to the three as the chariot charged through Imhotep who screamed. Rick scooped up his sword and the chariot went back into the bog, leaving Imhotep seemingly unharmed.

Imhotep ran at them and Rick swung his sword, running him through. A pool of blood surrounded the wound immediately and Imhotep looked down at it in horror. He stumbled back, into the bog, slowly dying. Just before his head went under he said, "Death is only the beginning." And then he was gone.

"Death is only the beginning." Evy translated.

Silence reined for a minute as they stared at the bog before Jonathan looked at the golden book in Grace's arms. "Come here you little beauty." He said, taking it from her arms and hugging it. Grace chuckled at him and then the walls started to descend.

Rick grabbed Evy's hand. "C'mon, let's get outta here!" He ordered. And the four of them ran.

Jonathan tripped over by the door, sending the golden book spiralling into the bog. Evy looked on in horror, "you lost the book!" She screamed at him.

"C'mon!" Rick yelled, pulling Evy forward. They ducked through the descending doorway and ran.

They ran through the treasure chamber, past Beni and up a staircase, heading for the doorway which was already half gone. It was only three feet high by the time they dived through it, having to pull Jonathan through the other side as the gap got smaller. "O'Connell!" Beni shouted reaching through the narrow gap with his hand.

Rick tried to grab it but it was too late, Beni yanked his hand back as the door crashed to the floor. Rick froze for a moment before shrugging, "goodbye, Beni." He muttered.

The temple collapsed as Rick, Evy, Grace, and Jonathan raced through the ruins. A cloud of sand and dust billowed out as more ruins crashed down behind them. They finally stopped in the middle of the plateau, surrounded by the camels that had also made a run for it. They stared as the sand began to settle, Hamunaptra had gone. "Well, I guess we go home empty handed." Jonathan said disappointedly.

Rick looked at Evy. "I wouldn't say that." He said. Evy returned the look and then the two kissed.

Jonathan and Grace shared a look before snorting in disgust. "Hey, Gracie, how come the book worked for you?" Jonathan questioned as the kissing couple pulled away.

Grace shrugged. "I used to be Akila, Imhotep seemed certain that I still was. Even though Akila's powers were cursed from her she still _used_ to be able to use the book so I figured it was worth a try." She explained.

It had seemed like the only idea at the time. Evy looked at her curiously, "when he was about to kill me... what did you mean when you said 'no, not again.'?" She questioned.

Again, Grace shrugged. She had no idea; she said it without it really registering. "I really don't know. The whole situation was giving me a horrible sense of déjà vu. Someone being restrained on a table, Imhotep about to stab them. It felt like it had happened before, I reacted without thinking." She said with a frown.

Before they could interrogate her any further, Jonathan screamed. A hand was on his shoulder. It was only Ardeth; he looked as though he had been in a great battle. "You have earn't the respect of me and my people." He said with a nod of his head from atop his horse. And then he left into the desert.

The four shared a look before getting onto some camels and riding across the desert themselves. In a saddlebag behind Evy, the sun gleamed off Beni's stolen treasure.


	13. Authors note

Well I hope you enjoyed that. I would love if you could give me some feedback, it doesn't take long to write a review. I've been writing _The Mummy_ fanfictions for years now but this is the first one I have felt like publishing so any and all feedback would be useful.

I can confirm there _will_ be a sequel. I have actually almost already finished writing it, but I won't be posting it until tomorrow so I can have another read through and finish it up.

Until then,

BlackMoonDarkness.

P.S. Shout out to Kate for being my first favourite and first reviewer for this story. You rock!

 **UPDATE:** The second book has now been uploaded, it is called _The curse of the Scorpion King._ Let me know your thoughts!


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